Decision Making

Targeting Decision Making through Evolution, Ethology and Engineering
Our research employs a comparative approach to understand how different insects locate odor sources in complex natural environments. We take field trips, record neurons, generate models, and even build robots, all with the goal of understanding how different insects have evolved to smell “odor objects” and make decisions (i.e. select actions). We are dedicated to using advanced neuroethological techniques to understand sensory processing in the context of natural observations, and assess the response of the nervous system to ecologically-relevant stimuli. The study of olfactory decision making can uncover basic principles of complex sensory processing to understand the cause and treatment of sensorimotor disorders, or to build artificial systems that employ robot control and smart sensors.